Category Archives: WIAW

My love for Daiya

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Go ahead and pump this jam for the rest of the day/week/month/year. I know it’s not exactly a new one, but this song never fails to make me happy. So get listening!

And it’s Wednesday, so it’s time for What I Ate Wednesday!

This month’s theme is Fun, Food + Fitness.

But I’m going to go straight into the food.

I’ve been getting great use out of peach season this year. This was paired with grilled chicken and quinoa on the side and the salad was later topped with balsamic. Peach and balsamic is a winning combo. Try it.

Enter my obsession with Daiya “cheese”. This is quinoa “mac & cheese” with sautéed veggies. AKA a bowl of heaven. I have made this almost every single day. It’s super easy to make.

Take 1/2 cup of quinoa, add 1 cup water, cook 14 mins covered. Meanwhile dice any veggies you have on hand (I used zucchini, bell pepper, grape tomatoes) and sautee them in oil of your choice (I used coconut oil). Once the quinoa is done, add as little or as much Daiya as you want, mixing over the stove top until completely mixed and melted in. Add veggies. Enjoy.

Another favorite this past week has been spelt spaghetti (the texture is awesome) with tomato sauce and…Daiya! Surprise.

I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with cheese. I’m by no means vegan, but I try to avoid dairy when possible, with the exception of yogurt lately. If it’s cheese and I’m cooking at home, I’ll substitute with Daiya. It’s kind of an acquired taste, but I love the flavor.

Any Daiya fans out there? Vegan or not vegan?

And finally, some birthday roses I received from my uncle:

Bon Appétit,

That Foodie Girl

Happy Birthday America!

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Happy 4th of July everyone!!

Today is such a great holiday because it includes:

  • grilling out
  • good food
  • family & friends
  • festive baking
  • fireworks

I hope you all are getting to enjoy this mid-week holiday! Did you all notice the new header?? TFG facelift!

Now, let’s launch into this weeks What I Ate Wednesday!

Whole Foods had GIANT containers of strawberries on sale for $3.99, so it was hard for me to pass that up. Hence the first photo of this post…I’ve been eating strawberries galore. And I’m ok with that since they’re all perfectly crisp and plump.

I had this fun little lunch a few days ago. It took me right back to my childhood. I used the Whole Foods brand mac & cheese, “chik’n nuggets” and a side of strawberries and cherries. The chik’n nuggets were Quorn brand, meat-free and soy-free. They were really good.

Mmmm fruit. And finally, my workout yesterday:

I just did 2.22 mile run around my neighborhood right before sunset. I was dodging everyone on the sidewalks walking to the bars to celebrate the 4th. I felt very dedicated even though I was just making up for a lack of workouts lately. I was pretty proud that I ran my first mile in 8:30. Pretty good for not even trying to run as fast as I could. Yay! I really am interested in signing up for a race. I should look into that…

Hope you all have a great day today!

Bon Appétit,
That Foodie Girl

WIAW: I’m finally back!

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I haven’t been a part of What I Ate Wednesday in several MONTHS, and now I’m finally here, but going along with the “Sensible Snacking” theme, I just have random snacks over the past week to share with you.

First off, thanks Jen for hosting this, as it’s so much fun to make new foodie friends!

First off, I cut up a “personal watermelon” that yielded this giant container FULL of watermelon. It’s a great snack during the summertime–I’m so bad about drinking enough water in a day, so sometimes I’ll catch myself eating watermelon instead of drinking water. Priorities.

The other night I made this baby kale salad marinated in Cindy’s balsamic dressing topped with farmer’s market fresh yellow tomatoes and cracked pepper. I can finally say I like kale salad–because I soaked it for 30 mins in the fridge, it really made all the difference. This salad was so refreshing and there’s nothing better than fresh (and brightly colored) produce.

I got this kombucha at a little flea market near my house in Austin. I can’t remember the name of the company, but they have several flavors of kombucha on tap. That’s right, kombucha on tap. It was new to me, and I loved sampling a bunch. I ended up getting the pineapple super greens mix. You fill yours up in a jar and bring it back for a refill at a lower price. That’s what I call eco friendly!

Going along with the drinks, because it’s so hot here in Texas, sometimes snacks are best when cold and in liquid form. These smoothies are from Whole Foods. Don’t you love the rainbow of smoothies? I had the green smoothie–pineapple & spinach. (are you sensing a trend?)

What are YOU snacking on these days? If you would like to join this foodie party or maybe just check out what everyone is snacking on, head over to http://www.peasandcrayons.com

Bon Appétit,
That Foodie Girl

What I ate Wednesday: fruits & veggies central

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Hi everyone! Happy What I Ate Wednesday. I am so proud of myself for finally remembering this week to link up to this fun weekly foodie party.

I know it’s already 7pm here in Dallas, but better late than never, right?

Here’s a little sampling of things I’ve been eating this week:

Breakfast:

homemade banana waffles with a dollop of peanut butter & maple syrup drizzle.
(An odd-sounding combo, but tasted delicious)

Lunch (feast):

My go-to salad these days has been tons of spinach, carrots, bell pepper, apple & a tiny bit of goat cheese. YUM. On the side I had my favorite Out to Lunch hummus and some amazing vegan artisan crackers from Central Market. And for dessert you can see these beauties:

Who doesn’t love berries? I find that if I keep them in a bowl in my fridge, they only last a few days if that.

And finally, a newfound love for my green drink:

That was actually my dinner the other night before I passed out post-Nyquil at 8pm. I’m getting better so that’s good!

Green Drink:
1 banana
1 handful or 2 of fresh spinach
1 cup frozen mango
OJ
1 scoop of protein powder of your choice

So refreshing and does a body good!

Hope you’ve all had a great week so far!

WIAW: pumpkin mugs, vegan sausage & apple pie replacement

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Happy What I Ate Wednesday, everyone! The following snacks/meals happened over the span of a week, so I thought I’d share what I’ve been eating.

A colorful, veggie-ful salad. I’ve been making salads for lunch that always satisfy because of the massive size of the salad as well as all the veggies it contains. For this particular salad I added cucumber, shredded carrots, orange bell pepper and strawberries. Notice the lack of feta cheese: time to be vegan at every chance I get. And yes, I was eating this while studying…it’s midterms week.

Ok, this photo doesn’t do my dinner justice. It looks unappetizing, I get it. But it’s delicious and filling. I’ve been enjoying sautéing zucchini, squash, broccoli and onions in a pan with garlic and olive oil, and mixing it in with one link of Field Roast’s vegan sausage. This particular sausage is their dried apple sage sausage. It was delicious and kept me really full.

Dessert replacement. Doesn’t taste like a replacement–tastes better than a dessert. I cut up half of a honey crisp apple (because the organic ones are HUGE) and sprinkled some cinnamon on top. It’s like apple pie minus the bad-for-you aspect. It’s a win win.

I’ve been enjoying my morning cup of coffee in this adorable pumpkin mug I found at Target. How can you not be happy while sipping from this little guy?

Bon appétit,

ThatFoodieGirl

And we’re back to What I Ate Wednesday!

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Happy Wednesday, foodies! I’m finally back to participating in the big Wednesday link party– What I Ate Wednesday. I hope you enjoy my eats from yesterday… (it wasn’t as healthy as I would have liked)

BREAKFAST

I couldn’t decide if I wanted cereal or yogurt, so I had both. It was kind of a weird mix of flavors and consistencies, but I just can’t get enough of Vosko’s Greek Yogurt, honey vanilla bean flavored. It’s so delicious and filling. The cereal is also new to me–gluten free and somewhat sweet, maybe a little too sweet but I love the crunch of it.

LUNCH

Lunch was at one of my favorites in Dallas: The Porch. I met up with two of my very best friends (we’ve been friends for almost 11 years!) and had a nice relaxing time. I had their three cheese grilled cheese with a side of tomato basil soup. So good and satisfying.

DINNER

Yeah, dinner was boring. I didn’t get to have dinner til late, and by that time, I wasn’t feeling too foodie inspired. I had spelt whole grain spaghetti with pesto, and a side of my favorite honey crisp apples.

And finally just for fun…

My sweet boyfriend took me to go look at puppies last weekend, and I can’t seem to get this one cutie off my mind. I’m waiting until graduation (May) to get one, but I absolutely love these golden doodles. Anyone have one? What are they like?

It’s What I Ate Wednesday!

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Happy What I Ate Wednesday, everyone! I realize I haven’t been so great at participating in this fun link party consistently, but I will definitely make sure to start doing it at least every other week.

School started on Monday and my focus has been eating whole foods, no processed foods, and as many fruits and veggies as I can possibly fit in. Since I have a little more time on my hands due to a lack of classes, I have been able to eat several small “meals” throughout the day. I haven’t spoken much about my passion for healthy living, so I’ll have to save that for a future post!

Ok, here we go.

Breakfast

Looks really good, right? Wrong. This was so gross, I ended up throwing it out after a few bites. It’s multi grain microwaveable oatmeal with bananas and a dollop of white chocolate peanut butter. I see this nut butter/oatmeal combo all over the health food blogosphere and I’ve been intrigued. Now I want to know how you all stomach that. Maybe I’ve got the wrong kind of oatmeal–kind of mushy and glue-like. I’ll give it another chance with a different kind of oatmeal. So my real breakfast was a fried egg and a piece of toast. Much better.

Lunch

The chicken caprese panini. This new addition to my lunch options was warmly welcomed by my taste buds. Much more satisfying than breakfast. It was super fast to make since I thinly sliced two breasts of chicken and grilled them a few nights ago, so now I have chicken to put in sandwiches. I also added grape tomatoes, sliced marinated mozzarella balls, basil and a drizzle of balsamic dressing. It was so delicious with the melty mozzarella and the hints of basil. Mmmm. Kept me full all day long.

Dinner

For dinner we went to Penne Pomodoro, which can sometimes be a little disappointing especially for a Lombardi restaurant. I shared this pizza bianca con prosciutto, a white pizza with prosciutto, mushrooms, mozzarella, parmesan, all topped with a mound of fresh spinach. It was alright, but I prefer a pizza with marinara sauce.

Snack not pictured: a mini white chocolate peanut butter sandwich. This peanut butter is to die for.

I love this brand and I can’t wait to try their other flavors. Think glorified and healthier version of Nutella. What’s not to love?

I know I promised the Oak Cliff pizza spot…but that will just have to wait for tomorrow. Stay tuned foodies!

Please become a fan of That Foodie Girl on Facebook, and follow @thatfoodiegrl on Twitter for updates and fun foodie tips.

Bon appétit,

ThatFoodieGirl

What I Ate Wednesday Party

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It’s that time of the week! Time for my second “What I Ate Wednesday” and a link party with hostess Peas & Crayons.

Yesterday was a very adventurous and exciting food day. But, it started out with this boring item:

Breakfast

I was running late to work, so it was the first thing I could grab. It’s Clif Bar’s “Crunch”– a granola bar that kind of reminds me of Nature Valley bars. Not my favorite, but it tied me over til lunch.

Lunch

Would you look at that bowl of goodness? This was my attempt at a creative way to use what I had in my fridge, and lucky for me, it turned out great. I sauteed the broccoli and red bell pepper with fresh garlic, a little olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Then, I boiled some water, added the quinoa and cooked for about 10 minutes. I added the veggies on top of the quinoa, sprinkled in some feta, and drizzled a bit of Amy’s balsamic dressing. Best part about this lunch other than the fact that it filled me up? It’s extremely healthy.

Dinner

Dinner was the interesting part. I went to a tasting at Jorge’s Tex Mex to sample their old and new menus. We were seated in a private dining room at a table for 10–all for the food critics and socialites of Dallas.

We ate lots of food, and drank lots of margaritas. They brought us a margarita at the beginning, between each course and at the end for a “dessert”. My favorite was the brunch item– the chicken enchilada with an egg on top. I love breakfast food anytime of the day.

And that concludes my exciting day of food! Happy hump day everyone!

Bon appétit,

ThatFoodieGirl

My First “What I Ate Wednesday”

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After I stumbled upon the large blogging foodie community, I realized I was missing out on a big “link party”. What in the world is that? When I include the button above (WIAW) my blog is sent to the hostess’s page so that all other foodies can click my link and see what I ate!

So here we go:(and it’s nice to meet all you other foodies out there!)

I feel kind of weird letting everyone know what I had to eat in a full day, but I guess it’s kind of interesting, right? You tell me.

Breakfast

I had an organic pink lady apple with a little pack of Justin’s chocolate almond butter. I’m obsessed with Justin’s. I brought this breakfast to work so it was nice to have the perfect amount of almond butter to smear on each bite of apple. Since I’m a chocoholic, I could get my fix in a much healthier way.

Lunch

My own mixed green summer salad.

Ingredients: Organic girl 1/2 mixed greens 1/2 spinach
organic red bell pepper
organic pink lady apple slices
feta
Somersault snacks sunflower seed clusters (told you I’d have them in a recipe!)
Cindy’s balsamic vinaigrette

YUM. My salad was so delicious. I get really bored with the usual salad I make everyday, so making subtle changes make the biggest difference. I loved the crunch and a bit of saltiness the Somersault snacks gave the salad. I usually throw some walnuts in my salad, but this was much more exciting. And as far as salad dressing goes–Cindy’s is out-of-this-world. I can only find it at Whole Foods. So if you’re near a Whole Foods, definitely try it.

On the side of my salad, I indulged in a little Out For Lunch hummus and Stacy’s pita chips. A match made in heaven.

Dinner

Lucky for me, my boyfriend’s parents took us out to Shin Sei for dinner as an early birthday dinner for my boyfriend Ryan. Shin Sei is one of my favorite restaurants in Dallas. The food is phenomenal and the owners are the wives of two culinary geniuses– Dean Fearing (Fearing’s) and Kent Rathbun (Abacus). Everytime I leave this place I’m extremely full but in the best way possible.

Last night we started out with some sushi rolls. The tempura spicy tuna roll was awesome. It was the perfect consistency and flavor–a very unique roll. Then, I had the traditional miso black cod. I’ve had it before and I knew it was melt-in-your-mouth good. As usual, the cod didn’t let me down. YUM. Finally, we oredered the thai fried rice with farm fresh egg. They chop the egg into the rice and mix it right in front of you at your table. Mmmmmm so good!

Hope you enjoyed my very first WIAW post!

Bon appétit,

ThatFoodieGirl